Avatar: Blood Moon
by Jack Cross
Summary: Asami is a young heiress looking for answers, Korra is the Avatar and has a really short temper, and Yao is a PI with a dark secret. It's a partnership that shouldn't work. But as a plot against not only Republic City but the world is uncovered, they'll have to set aside their differences and work together. Providing they don't kill each other first.
1. Tzu Case Part 1

**Hey guys, Jack here with yet another pet project. I've had an idea like this bouncing around since Halloween, so I finally sat down and hammered out a plot. Hopefully you guys will find it enjoyable.**

 **I do not, in any way, shape or form, own Legend of Korra.**

 _"Do not fear to think even the most not-probable."_ – Abraham Van Helsing.

 _Foggy Swamp._

He groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. His head was pounding with pain and pressure. As his vision cleared, he realized why. He was hanging upside down, suspended by some vines tied around his ankles. A young man in his late teens or early twenties, with dark hair, fair skin, and a slender frame. He wore a simple brown tunic, olive green trousers, and a pair of worn leather boots.

Twisting one way and then another, he got a look at his surroundings. He was in the middle of the swamp, surrounded on all sides by water, trees, and vegetation. Silver moonlight shone down from sporadic holes in the canopy in concentrated silver beams of light, illuminating the otherwise dark swamp.

The first thing he noticed was the fact that it was quiet, eerily quiet. No bugs chirped or hummed, no birds called, no small critters scampered through the underbrush. Granted it was nighttime and late winter so reduced activity from the wildlife was to be expected But still, this was the swamp. The only time it ever went this quiet year round was when there was a predator near by.

Twisting one way and then the other, he began to try and free himself. He could have yelled out for help, but that would have just been a waste of time and air. Based upon his surroundings, he doubted that anyone would hear him. For now, he was on his own.

Although a little fuzzy, he did recall what had happened before he had woken up in this situation. He'd been traveling, on the road to Gaoling in order to enlist in the army and fight the Fire Nation. The sun had just set as he was passing near the edge of the swamp when something had clubbed him from behind.

Someone, or something, had dragged him into the swamp and hung him here. That was the primary reason why he worked to get free, rather then yell. There was a very high chance that whoever or whatever had done this was still around, and he highly doubted that he wanted to stick around and find out their intentions toward him.

He reached upward toward the vines, struggling to summon the strength needed to bend his body in such a manner. After a moment, he gave up and let his body hang limp. His finger tips just barely brushed the water below him, causing him to curl them upward out of instinct. Taking a few breaths he tried again, but met with the same results.

"My, my, where are you trying to go, little thing?" came a female voice. It seemed to echo from all around him and sounded cool and seductive. Yet there was something about it that made every single primal instinct of fear and self preservation scream at him to get free and run. Reaching up again, he managed to get ahold of a small knife he kept tucked in his boot.

Uncurling his body again, he swung himself through the air a few times to get some momentum before he bent his body again. This time, with the added reach of the knife, he had success. The sharp and well kept blade easily passed through the vines. However now that he was free, gravity took over, and he fell face first into the swamp water.

Sputtering, he came up out of the water with the knife held at the ready, peering into the gloom as he tried to locate the source of the voice. The water, thankfully, was relatively shallow, only coming up to his mid calf or so. The mud that the water concealed, however, was a different story. It was thick and clay like, making every step he took a fight just to get his foot free.

"Where are my manners? It's not polite for the host to neglect the guest, is it?" the woman's voice said. He watched with horror as the vines and other plant life around him began to move and come to life, twisting in the silver moonlight like large black snakes. His knife was kept at the ready, but he made no movement, opting instead to wait and see what would happen. Then, he saw her.

She came from between the trees, her silhouette illuminated like everything else. Scantly clad, with rags covering her breasts and waist. Her hair hung down over the front of her body, terminating at her mid rift. She was covered in mud and grime, an effect of having spent a lot of time in the swamp. Vines were wrapped around her extended arms and seemed to carry her through the air. They set her down not far from him, and he watched as ice formed beneath her feet to keep her from sinking into the water.

He faced her fully, holding the knife up slightly. This woman, this waterbender, everything about her screamed threat. Not in a physical way. Her frame was too small and too thin for him to consider that. But there was something else, something about her that made his skin crawl and want to run away.

"Who are you?" he asked, finally finding his voice.

"I am the Mistress of the Swamp, and who are you, lost soul?" she asked as she began to walk forward. Ice formed under her feet as she walked, only to return to its liquid form as she moved on.

"Stay back," he warned, brandishing the knife as he tried to take a step backwards. The mud and water kept him from doing so and facing her at the same time.

"Come now, do I seem like a threat?" she asked. Despite every impulse to do otherwise, he found himself struggling less and even lowering his weapon. She was closer now, much closer, easily within arms length.

"Easy now, sweet thing. It will all be over soon," she said. Suddenly, she lunged forward and sank her teeth into the left side of his neck. He screamed in pain as he felt her latch on and begin to suck. Acting blindly, he made a stabbing motion toward her with the knife. It managed to work, as she instantly dislodged and sprang backwards with a screech of pain.

Now she was standing in the water, same as he was as she was no longer focused on her bending. Instead, she had turned her attention to the knife that was buried up to it's hilt in her shoulder. Pressing his hand to his neck to try and stop the bleeding, he watched as she reached up and pulled the knife free.

As she turned to regard him, he felt his heart clench with terror. She was the sight of horror, a bloody knife in her hand, blood covering her nose, chin and mouth. Then, she bared her teeth which were stained red and had a set of sharp fangs visible. An inhuman screech escaped from her throat as she dropped the knife and charged him again.

There was a flash of light, not shining silver, but burning orange. The woman stumbled as a flaming arrow appeared in the center of her chest, directly between her breasts. Her screech of anger turned into wails of pain as fire raced all over her form, covering her far quicker then what should have been normal.

As she attempted to bend the water up around her in an effort to put out the inferno, another arrow appeared, right next to the first. This one was on fire as well, and only served to reinforce the already raging flames. The swamp around them was bathed in an orange glow as she burned and screamed, her body flailing about blindly. Finally, the flames went out as her body crumped into ash. Silence enveloped the area once again as she screams disappeared along with her body.

Almost instantly, the sounds of life returned to the swamp. It was as if someone had flipped a switch and returned everything to normal. Even the moonlight seemed to shine a little brighter. Not that he noticed any of this. He was dazed as he kept his hand pressed against his wound, turning on the spot as he looked for his would be savior.

The sound of a torch being stuck reached his ears, and he turned to find a woman wearing leather battle armor standing on a massive tree root that had managed to form an archway of sorts. A bow and a quiver full of arrows were slung over her shoulder, and a pair of rather large knives were strapped to her hips. She had short auburn hair which was tied back into a short ponytail, and her skin was a fine golden color that indicated a lot of time spent in the sun.

"Let me see that wound," she said, motioning for him to come to her. He slogged his way over to her, his mind in a haze as he tried to ignore the pain in his neck. Once he was within arms length, she grabbed his head with her free hand and turned it so that she could see the bite easier. He grimaced at the pain this caused him, but if she noticed she didn't seem to care.

"She got you good," she hummed before releasing him.

"What the…what is…who are…" Try as he might, he couldn't string a solid sentence together.

"That thing that took a chunk out of you was a vampire. It may look like a woman, talk and sound like a woman, even act like a woman, but it's a monster and it was set to rip you to shreads," she explained.

"Who…"

"Am I? A hunter. This pretty thing was terrorizing a nearby village, taking people in the night and draining them dry. They hired me to come in and stop it. But, now there's the issue of you," she said before drawing one of her knives with a free hand. He took a couple of steps backward before tripping and falling on his rear in the water.

"Look, I'm sorry, I really am. But you've been bitten by a vampire. You'll turn into one of those things, you won't be yourself anymore. I've got to put you down," she explained as she advanced on him. He tried to slide back further, but found he wasn't going anywhere. As she raised her knife to swipe at him, she froze, her eyesight catching a glimpse of something.

When the vampire had lunged at him, she'd torn open his shirt partially. Resting against his chest and shining in the torchlight was a golden talisman, suspended from his neck by a simple chain. Reaching her blade down, the huntress snagged it with the tip and brought it up so she could get a better look at it. After a moment, she looked up into his terrified eyes.

"It's your lucky day, kid. Few people survive their first encounter with a vampire, fewer still get bit and live to tell the tale," she said.

"What…what's going to happen to me? Are you going to kill me?" he asked. She regarded him some more before sheathing her knife and offering him a hand.

"We'll see, kid. We'll see.

 _Seventy Years Later._

A light rain pelted down on Republic City, casting a wet, dull, gray gloom across the metropolis. Asami Sato rotated her umbrella once in her hands as she looked up at the low, worn brick building before her. This was it, her absolute last option. Just by the sight of the place alone, she had a sinking feeling in her gut that this last chance was already gone and she had just refused to admit it to herself.

With an inward sigh, the heiress opened the door to the two story building and stepped inside. As she closed her umbrella, she took a moment to look over the interior of the building she was in. It was run down and dimly lit. The walls looked like they hadn't seen a paintbrush in decades. What little carpet was left on the floor was faded, torn, and full of dust and other things from years of foot traffic. Sitting on the stairs before her was a single man who was passed out and snoring the world away. A drunk, based upon his apparel and the nearly empty bottle of Sake in his lap.

Asami carefully stepped over his form before she started up the stairs to the second floor of the building. She tucked her umbrella under her arm as she reached the landing and looked over the few doors that she could see. The first one, immediately on her right, had a frosted window in it. A partly scratched off symbol for the word Investigator was present on the glass, telling her that this was the place she was looking for. With her free hand, she reached up and wrapped a knuckle on the glass. For a moment, there was only silence. Just as she was about to try again, a voice spoke up from inside.

"It's open!" Opening the door, Asami was greeted with the sight of a rather cluttered and run down office. A desk set directly across from her in front of a pair of large windows which overlooked the street. Files and boxes of files were scattered about. The room smelled of mildew and cigarette smoke. She quickly found out why as a young man, not much older than herself strode into the room with a lit one hanging from his lips.

"Can I help you?" he asked. He was about a head taller then her and rail thin with short dark hair. His skin was a sickly pale color. This, along with the sheen of sweat visible on his forehead told Asami there was a very good possibility that he WAS sick. Probably with consumption, based on how skinny he was.

"Are you Yao Kariudo?" she asked. He frowned as he regarded her, cocking his head to the side slightly.

"Maybe, who's askin'?"

"My name is Asami. A friend of mine has gone missing and I need help," she said.

"Sounds like a job for the police," he said as he turned and went to his desk.

"I've tried them but they turned up nothing. Please, I'm all out of options," she pleaded. Yao took a long drag from his cigarette before putting it out in an ash tray on his desk.

"Alright. I'll hear you out. After you tell your story, I'll decide whether or not I'll take the job," he said as he sat in his chair before motioning for her to sit in the one directly across from him. Asami took the seat and began to explain the situation to him. A few weeks earlier, a friend of hers' by the name of Kori Tzu had gone missing after a night out on the town. Kori was the daughter of immigrants from the Water Tribe, and was apparently well known in the Little Water Tribe neighborhood. The police had looked into the disappearance, and had determined that Kori had found herself a handsome stud and run off with him. Thing was, Asami didn't buy the story.

For starters, Kori was a lesbian, so the idea that she would run off with some guy was laughable. There was also the matter of Kori's personality. The poor girl had lost her parents in a car accident a few years prior, and thus was incredibly attached to what few friends she had. Her going this long without calling Asami was something that wasn't in her nature, even if she found a new flame to run off with.

"Is that all?" he asked when she finally finished.

"I think that's everything. Will you help me?" she asked. Yao turned in his chair and looked out into the pouring rain. He remained silent for a long time.

"Please. I don't have anywhere else to turn, you're my last option," she pleaded.

"Why did you come to me, Ms. Asami?" he finally asked. The heiress frowned. She'd just laid out her reasons for coming to him, why was he asking this?"

"What do you mean? I just told you…"

"I mean, why come to me with the case?" he interrupted as he turned to face her again, "you obviously can afford much better than this, so the question stands, why come here to the middle of Triad territory for me?"

"My father never approved of Kori. And he would never give me the funds necessary to hire one of the downtown firms in order to find her. I've heard about you. You're good at what you do, and you're cheap. That's why I came to you, Mr. Kariudo," she explained. Again, Yao fell into a long silence as he considered the possibilities.

"I charge half up front," he started. Instantly she was reaching into her purse, but a hand being held up stopped her.

"I'll follow this wherever it leads. I finish what I start and I do it MY way. No questions, no complaints, no refunds," he finished, laying out his terms. If Asami had any doubts enter her mind after hearing them, it didn't show as she didn't hesitate to lay a brown envelope filled with cash on the desk between them. Just like that, a deal was struck.

"Where was the last place she was seen?" he asked, picking up the envelope.

"Leaving a Water Tribe place. Narook's I think is what it was called. Have you heard of it?"

"I have. I'll start my investigation there. You'd best leave me your name and address so I know how to get ahold of you," he said. Asami quickly got a piece of paper and a pen before she began to write the information down.

"Please. Find Kori."

"You go on home now, Ms. Asami. I'll keep you updated on anything I find," he said.

 _Yao POV_

There's more to this Asami girl then meets the eye. I can tell that right off the bat. It's the subtle things that give away the most information. Her coat, umbrella, and boots were all high end brands, as was the perfume she was wearing, indicating that she came from a wealthy background. Yet she didn't carry herself as if she was the queen of the world like most heirs her age. That alone made her interesting.

There's no doubt that there is more to the Kori story as well, but not because Asami is holding anything back. The poor girl probably didn't know her friend as well as she thought she did. It wouldn't have been the first time I'd gotten involved in a situation like that. A worried friend comes looking for someone they just know wouldn't run off, only to find that the person they're looking for has run off to Ember Island with a new flame and what little life savings they'd had stashed away.

I didn't bother waiting for the rain to let up as I headed to Narook's, throwing on a long overcoat and a hat before shoving my hands in my pockets and hunkering down against the rain. Stormy and overcast days are actually a favorite of mine, being as the clouds block the sun. But when winter is this close, it's just cold, and even an enjoyable day can become miserable.

Hopping on a passing street trolley, I shook off the water like a dog before stepping into the main car. There were only a few other passengers on board, giving me plenty of options for a place to sit or stand. Even in the big city, not many people went out on days like today. They ignored me, like I somewhat ignored them. I sized them up from out of the corner of my eye, and once I was sure they weren't a threat I went to ignoring them fully.

Now you might be thinking that I'm a little paranoid. But a little paranoia has been known to save a life a time or two, Spirits know it has with me. In my line of work, you tend to make enemies. Be it a mob boss who was pissed because you caught him plowing some waitress and thus ruined his marriage, or an attorney who was upset because you snapped one too many incriminating photos for a rival firm. Sometimes though, the danger is a little less mundane than that. Sometimes, it's the stuff of nightmares.

I stepped off the trolley and looked up and down the street. The rain had let up, but hadn't completely stopped, leaving only the occasional drop to fall. Walking into the restaurant, I was greeted with the sound of a bell ringing with the door's movement. The place was deserted, not surprising considering that it was the middle of the afternoon.

"Welcome to…" the man who was greeting me, Narook himself, froze when he saw me. I took off my hat and gave a small nod toward him.

"Narook."

"You got a lot of nerve coming in here, Yao, after what happened last time," he said, anger in his voice. I rolled my eyes in annoyance.

"I paid for the damages and apologized, what more do you want?"

"How 'bout a promise that you won't start a fight in my place every time happy hour rolls around," he said.

"I've only been in here for happy hour once," I defended.

"Once was enough. Now what do you want? I highly doubt you're in here to eat," he said.

"I'm on a job," I said as I stepped toward him and laid a wad of cash on the counter, "looking for a girl by the name of Kori Tzu, seems to have been a regular here."

"Kori Tzu, eh? Name rings a bell. I got a lot of people in here most nights so I'm gonna need more than that," he said as he scooped up the bills and scratched his chin.

"Water Tribe, around drinking age, preferred the ladies," I elaborated. I saw the recognition bloom in his eyes.

"Ah yes, I remember her. Last time she was in here she left on the arm of some handsome looking fella." I cocked my eyebrow at him.

"You sure about that?" I asked.

"Positive. The sight alone is why I remember it. That girl was trying her luck with every dame that came walking in here for years, and then she up and left with a guy. Real sleaze ball too, a new enforcer for the Triple Threats if I remember right," came the answer.

"And how do you know that?"

"That's all he talked about. You know how it is, young blood liking to brag about how big and powerful they are. Was a waterbender, if his clothes were anything to go by."

"What's his name?"

"Galak, or something similar to that. Kori walked out with him and I haven't seen either of them since," Narook said. I gave him a smile as I returned my hat to my head.

"Always a pleasure, Narook."

"Beat it, Yao." I stepped back out into the rain and lit a cigarette. If Narook's information was any good, which it usually was, I was headed into Triple Threat Triad territory. Galak, if he had been telling a sliver of truth, was an enforcer for the Triad. Given the fact that there weren't really any turf wars going on at the moment, that meant he'd be playing the role of guard at their headquarters.

I hopped on another trolley and began the long ride across town. The Triple Threats ran their operation out of a high end restaurant about five blocks or so from Central City Station. It was common enough knowledge, but they kept their noses clean about it so the police really couldn't do anything. On paper it was all legal and legit. Of course, that never applied to the alley behind the place, where a lot of the more shady dealings took place.

It was starting to get on toward evening when I finally arrived at the Triple Threat headquarters. There were a couple of thugs posted by the door, but neither one was dressed like the guy I was looking for so I ignored them and went inside. A waiter greeted me inside the door as I looked the place over.

"Good evening, table for one?" he asked.

"Actually I'm looking for a fella that works here, name of Galak, sound familiar?" I asked.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I'm afraid there's no one here by that name," he said.

"I'm not a badge, alright. I'm just lookin' to deliver a package," I said, pulling the envelope Asami had given me out of my jacket slightly to show to him. The waiter seemed to perk up slightly at that.

"In that case, I'm afraid you just missed him. It's his night off. He's got a small place not far from here if you want to deliver it there," he offered. Playing the act of courier when working around the Triads was a tactic I often used. The drones were too scared of their bosses and too kept in the dark about operations to question whenever someone showed up claiming to have something for someone else. It was much easier and safer to just point in a general direction and send the person on their way.

Getting Galak's address led me to a rundown apartment complex a few blocks away from the Triple Threat headquarters. The place looked even worse off then my place, almost totally abandoned and a single spider rat away from a 'Condemned' ruling by the city's health board. Other then a couple of cactus juice junkies, the place actually was totally abandoned. Not the kind of place you'd expect to find an up and coming Triad member who had a knack for bragging.

Finding the appropriate apartment number, I went to knock on the door, but froze when I noticed that it was already slightly open. Reaching out, I gently pushed it and allowed it to swing open. I was instantly engulfed by the sheer, overpowering smell that came wafting from inside. Blood, and a lot of it. I felt my mouth water at the scent, drawn to it like starving man is drawn to a prime steak. Shaking my head, I swallowed some of the saliva in an effort to get my sudden craving under control. That's the problem with my…condition. A long time without feeding, plus a lot of food suddenly appearing, results may include loss of self control among other things.

"Hello?" I called out as I stepped into the apartment. It was the absolute basic package when it came to furniture. A single couch along the wall to the right, a recliner facing me and the door, and a coffee table sitting between me and the chair. Only a bare bulb hanging from the ceiling was there to illuminate the place.

A quick glance over the room wouldn't have told you anything was wrong. But a closer look would have had you seeing the blood splatter that was on the wall by the couch. I made my way over to it in order to get a closer look. As I rounded the chair, I froze at the sight of what awaited me.

Lying on the floor in a pool of blood was a young woman with short dark hair and dark skin. Her blue eyes were glazed over as they stared up at the ceiling, and her throat appeared to have been slashed. She was wearing a blue parka and light gray leggings, giving the impression she was getting ready to go out.

Noting a small handbag lying on the floor a short distance away from the body, I made my way around the pool of blood to it. I was silently hoping that the girl wasn't who I thought she was. A check of the ID in the purse just confirmed my worst fear. The girl was the one I was looking for, Kori Tzu.

"Damn it," I muttered before I began to look around me. I was going to have to call this in to the police, but I wanted a look at the scene for myself before they came in and threw me out on my ass. Aside from the splatter that initially caught my attention, there were a few bloody handprints as well. There was also a broken lamp laying a short distance from Kori's outstretched open hand.

Ignoring the fact that I now had blood on my boots, I stepped closer to the body and took a closer look at her neck. I highly doubted that a girl her size would have been able to put up the fight it looked like she did after having her throat slashed like that. Noting something in the wound, I carefully reached in and pulled it out. It was a tooth, part of a fang to be exact.

"Vampire," I breathed, feeling my blood run cold as I realized what had happened. She'd been bit, but had managed to get loose from her attacker and fight back. But a young, underweight teenage girl is hardly a match for a hungry vampire, and her attacker had slit her throat to cover their tracks after draining her dry. I sighed as I stood upright fully, I had a couple of phone calls to make, and I was not looking forward to either of them.

 **And cut, that's it for the first chapter. What did you guys think? I wanna know! Drop a review, leave a PM, don't hesitate to ask questions! And with that, I'll see you all next time.**


	2. Tzu Case Part 2

**Hey guys, I got another chapter for you. Let's get the show on the road:**

The flash from the bulb of the camera was blinding, which was why I took care not to look directly at it. Instead I focused my attention elsewhere, manly on the detective that was currently interviewing me. It was all standard procedure; cops show up, secure the scene, take down what I had to say, eat a doughnut, and move on after everything was cleaned.

"Kariudo," came a voice from the entrance to the apartment. Standing there was a middle aged woman with graying hair, green eyes, and a pair of scars on her right cheek. She was wearing metalbender armor, although she lacked the helmet. This was the woman who's reputation had been known to make pickpockets and hardened criminals alike shit their pants. Lin Beifong, Republic City's Chief of Police.

"Chief," I greeted as I turned to face her. She crossed the room to me before stopping and looking down at the body.

"Friend of yours?" she asked.

"Never met her," I answered.

"So what are you doing here, then?"

"Working a job. I was hired to find her," I explained.

"Well you've certainly pulled that off," she said as she folded her arms. I couldn't help but cock an eyebrow at her. In all my years as a PI, I've had my fair share of run ins with the Chief. She worked with a hands on approach, preferring to be out on the street rather then cooped up in an office somewhere. Even with that to consider, it was something of a rarity that she would show up to a lowly crime scene like this herself.

"What's goin' on, Chief?" I asked, unsure of the kind of answer I would get. It usually depended on her mood. If she was being a grump, I'd get told to mind my own business or a threat of jail time. Sometimes I'd get lucky and she'd share something with me, but I was more likely to get threatened with jail time.

"This is the fifth body we've turned up over the past month. It's all the same MO; young woman, run down apartment, throat slashed," she said with a sigh. Ah, so that's why she was here. She was afraid she had a serial killer on her hands. Well, from what I could see, she did, just not the kind she was expecting.

"The killings have been clustered around Central City Station?" I asked. She flashed a frown and then a glare at me.

"How did you know that?"

"Closest transportation hub, made sense," I answered. Lin just shook her head at me.

"You know, there are days where I wish you'd just give in and join the force. I could use someone like you on the beat," she said.

"It gets worse," I said as I held up the fang for her to see. She took it and looked it over before returning her attention to me.

"Where did you get this?" she asked. I motioned to the body, which was being covered with a sheet.

"Her. Found it in the wound on her throat," I answered. To say that she looked alarmed was an understatement. Without a word, she grabbed me by the arm and led me out into the hallway.

"Yao, what information do you have on this?" she asked when she was sure we were alone.

"What I got right now points to a guy by the name of Galak. Waterbender, works as an enforcer for the Triple Threats. He was the last one seen with her when she was alive," I said.

"And you think this belongs to him?" she asked, holding up the fang.

"Only lead I got at the moment. He's either a young hotshot in way over his head, or he's freshly turned and establishing his dominance," I answered. For a while, Lin was silent as she turned the fang over and over in her fingers. It had been a long time since Republic City had faced a threat like this.

"Yao… I need a favor." I was already shaking my head before she had finished speaking.

"I gave up hunting, Chief, you know that," I said.

"You're the best hope we got to catch this guy. If he's left out there to his own devices, you know the kind of damage that can cause," she argued.

"I'm not the only one who can handle this situation. Besides, I'm still on a job," I countered.

"Yao, I'm not asking you as Police Chief. I'm asking you as a friend. Help me get this guy." Great, she'd played the 'friend in need' card. Now I was screwed.

"Give me a few hours to tell my employer about her friend and wrap this job up. I'll give you my answer then," I said with a sigh. She seemed to find this satisfactory, as she gave me a single nod before letting me head off. I shoved my pockets into coat as I started toward the address Asami had given me. This was going to be an unpleasant conversation to say the least.

* * *

I had Asami pegged for wealthy, but not THIS wealthy. Turns out the address she had given me was to the Sato Estate, home of Hiroshi Sato, one of the greatest and wealthiest business tycoons of modern times. The man was, by far, one of the wealthiest individuals on the planet. Only the Beifongs and the Earth Kingdom royal family rivaled them. It showed too, given the fact that the Estate was large enough to be a small providence.

Asami took the news of her friend's death well, better than I would have figured anyway. She looked depressed and she shed a few tears, but she never fully lost it. I think it was the amount of time that had passed since her friend had vanished, she'd been mentally preparing for news like this, and now it had finally come.

"Was she in pain when she died?" she asked. We were in a small sitting room, with me on a couch and her sitting curled up in a chair. Her knees were pulled up into her chest, and her voice trembled when she spoke. She was keeping it together, but just barely.

"I can't say for sure. What I do know is she went down fighting," I answered truthfully. I don't know if it helped or not, but I've found that when in doubt, go with the truth. Well, not the whole truth anyway. I left out the fact that her friend's killer was a blood sucking monster of the night. She seemed to find this answer satisfactory as she gave a single solemn nod. With that, I stood and turned my hat over in my hands. I had done my part here, and now it was time to get back to work.

"Mr. Kariudo, a moment, please," she said, standing up quickly.

"I won't trouble you with the second half of the payment now, Ms. Sato. Just remember to pay it and we'll call it even," I said.

"It's not about that. I have another job offer for you," she said. I cocked my eyebrow at her in curiosity.

"Oh?"

"Yes. I want you to track down the monster that did this to Kori," she said. Ordinary, this would have been the part where I dropped the job entirely and walked out. Revenge quests and tracking down killers were jobs for the police. But given that Beifong was wanting me to do the same thing, I figured it couldn't hurt to make a few extra yuans.

"I'm not a bounty hunter, Ms. Sato…" I started.

"Money isn't an issue," she interrupted, shoving an envelope full of cash into my hand. I was surprised, but decided not to press the issue. If she was willing to pay for a job I was going to do anyway, who was I to stop her.

"Alright then."

"One more thing. I want to be there when you find the bastard," she said. Oh, no, no, no, that wasn't going to happen.

"That's not how I do things," I said. First rule of body guarding or working a PI job, never have the client present when actually doing your job. The chances of them getting hurt get quite high. They get even higher when the person you're suppose to be tracking down is a vampire and the client has no idea they exist.

"I don't care. Either take me along, or I find someone who will," she said, reaching for the cash. I held it up and out of her reach. For some reason, I was breaking one of my cardinal rules, and for what? Money? A good looking girl? Hell if I knew then and hell if I know now. Besides, I couldn't have anyone else stumbling upon this mess. Another PI would be walking headlong into a death trap and not have any idea what was about to happen to them.

"You do everything I say, no questions and no back sass, got it?"

"Got it."

"Good," I said before slipping the envelope into my jacket.

"So where do we start?" she asked.

"We don't. Not tonight anyway. I've got a few phone calls to make and we'll both need a good nights sleep before this gets into full swing," I said.

"But, the longer we wait, the farther away Kori's killer gets," she argued.

"Ms. Sato, you're exhausted, I'm exhausted. Running out there in this state of mind is a good way to get hurt. Just sit tight for tonight. Rest, grieve. I'll call you in the morning," I said. Asami slouched, and her exhaustion and grief seemed to be catching up with her.

"Alright, goodnight, Mr. Kariudo," she said before I showed myself out.

* * *

I must have made it back to my place in record time given how quickly I made it across town. I briefly considered just kicking off my boots, collapsing on my cot, and getting some sleep. But it quickly became clear that wasn't going to happen as I was on the phone within ten minutes of being there.

"Chief Beifong here," came Lin's voice from the other end of the line.

"Chief, it's Yao. I'm taking the job," I said. The phone lines are always being listened in on by the operators at the switch boards. This was made double the case since I was calling the police headquarters. Lin and I had learned long ago how to keep conversations short, sweet, and to the point.

"Be careful," she said before the line clicked. I put the phone back in it's receiver before sighing and going to an olive drab footlocker kept under my cot. Opening the wooden rectangular box, I was greeted with the sight of a leather belt wrapped around a pair of knives in sheathes. The knives, one a kukri and the other a bowie, were sharpened and well oiled despite not having been used in years. I took the belt from the footlocker and put it on under my jacket.

Was I going out against Asami's wishes to try and track this guy down? Hell yes I was. If I could get away with finding him and her not being there to watch it happen, I was going to do it, regardless if I got paid or not. There was already one dead girl here, there didn't need to be another, not if I could do anything about it.

Now a rational thinker might come to the conclusion that going after a vampire at night isn't the smartest course of action, and I'd be inclined to agree with that thinker whole heartedly. At night, a vampire has all the advantages and it knows it. But it's that confidence that I was relying on. No one expects to be hunted while they have the advantage.

Besides, it's not like I was completely helpless either. Aside from my knives, nighttime was when I was at my full strength as well. I also had experience on my side. This wasn't the first blood sucker I'd gone up against, not even close. I'd come a long way from being a frightened kid in the swamp. With my gear secure, I locked up my place and headed back out into the city.

I didn't actually expect to find anyone tonight. My plan of attack was to locate the target, identify his habits and daily goings on, and then strike when the moment presented itself. That meant I was headed back to Little Water Tribe in order to stake out the local holes in the wall. I actually found myself back where I had started earlier that day, Narook's. It seemed popular enough, so I figured it was only a matter of time before either Galak himself or someone who knew him showed up.

Narook wasn't overly happy that I was back again so soon, but some cash, a request for a bottle and a bowl of noodles put his worries to rest somewhat. I found an empty corner to sit in and made myself at home, watching the young people come and go while fighting the urge to smoke. There was a strict no smoking policy, and I was just starting to get back into the owner's good graces.

"That fella there, at the bar, he's the one you were asking about earlier today," Narook said as he set a bowl of noodles and a bottle of sake down in front of me. I looked past him to where he was indicating. A young man of Water Tribe origin was leaning against the bar. He had on a blue jacket, gray trousers, and a few large gold chains around his neck. Everything about his appearance screamed punk and thug.

"Thanks, Narook," I said, slipping him an extra yuan for his trouble. The owner nodded, but otherwise kept his mouth shut and slipped away to deal with his customers. I poured myself a drink and started to slurp on my noodles, all while keeping an eye on Galak. He was cocky and sure of himself, all while trying to impress every single member of the female sex that got within twenty feet of him. As soon as one shot him down, he'd move on to the one standing right next to her.

It was actually a little sickening to watch, especially considering I was aware of what he had been up to earlier this evening. Now he was right back out there again, as if nothing had happened. It was clear he was trying to lure in some new prey, but so far hadn't had any luck. I just stayed put and watched, studying his movements. If he actually scored, I'd have to act, but until then it was the waiting game.

Unless they're actively feeding or attacking, vampires are nearly impossible to tell apart from the general public. Sure there's the weakness to daylight, but that can be nullified with a large overcoat and a wide brimmed hat. That's why a hunter that knows what they're doing takes their time before moving in on a kill, watching their target for weeks if not months to be absolutely sure they're staking a vampire and not some innocent bystander.

Now me, I have a slight advantage over the average hunter in the fact that my sense of smell is elevated. Vampires, no matter how much cologne they put on, have a unique smell to them. Of course, this is somewhat nullified by the fact that if a person is in close proximity to a vampire for extended periods of time, the scent will rub off on them and make it seem like they're a vampire themselves.

Other ways to out a hiding blood sucker were a little more dangerous. The sight of blood will tempt even the most disciplined of nightwalkers and cause them to lower their guard considerably. Their appearance in mirrors are distorted, no matter how clear the angle is. Talismans and other holy objects worked well as a ward against them, and could be used to drive them off if no other means to do so where around.

When it comes to actually killing a vampire, there were only four ways to do it; beheading, stabbing through the heart, fire, or the sun. Being as I wasn't a firebender, I preferred a good old fashioned one, two punch combo. One blade through the heart, while the second removed the head. The sun, assuming you could hold a vampire long enough, was an agonizing way to die. It started off like a rapidly advancing sunburn, however by the twenty minute mark they resembled a badly burned victim of a house fire with death sure to follow soon after.

Me, I'm not actually a vampire myself. Well, not a full one, anyway. The talisman I was wearing when I was bit saved me from being fully turned. Sure I retained my humanity, but I still got a few weaknesses and abilities out of the deal. All of my senses are superior to that of a regular human's. I'm also faster and stronger as well and there's the added bonus of not being effected by holy objects. My life span has also been increased. While no where near the length of a full vampire, I would still far outlive any human around me.

As far as weaknesses go, I had a few of them as well. Sunlight, while not lethal in any way, still hurts. It gives me a headache like an intense hangover. There's also the thirst for blood. All vampires can and must eat regular food to survive. But the thirst for human blood is still there and still very much an issue, and I'm no exception. I tried to avoid feeding on a live host whenever possible, usually paying a guy in a hospital or a morgue for a fresh bottle.

One advantage to having my condition was that I didn't need to take as much blood to survive, and I didn't run the risk of turning anyone if it came to a situation where I had to bite. The same couldn't be said for a full vampire. Usually, once they started sucking the hunger would take over, they didn't stop until the victim was drained. This didn't always happen though, as new vampires are only created when a bite victim is still alive.

Speaking of being still alive, new activity at the bar caught my attention. Galak had settled his sights on a raven haired young woman who had just walked into the place. My eyes went wide as I realized it was Asami. Based on the downtrodden look on her face, she'd come here to drown her grief over her friend in alcohol.

I watched closely as the two chatted back and forth and drank for a good half hour or so. Finally, they both stood and headed for the door, with Asami not realizing this was the very man she had hired me to find. I got up and followed them, vowing that there wouldn't be another dead girl on my hands this evening.

They walked for a short distance before Galak directed them into a dark alleyway. I hadn't known Asami long enough to get a real read on her character, but she didn't seem like the kind of girl that would just go home with someone after a few drinks. Then again, grief makes people do things they wouldn't normally do.

I slipped into the alley after them, using the shadows to my advantage. They were whispering back and forth, way too engrossed in each other to notice my presence.

"I have a friend I'd like you to meet, I think you'll like her," Galak said. That gave me pause. He wasn't working alone, and that made me uneasy. In situations like this, unknown elements rarely turned out good.

"Sure, I wouldn't mind meeting her," Asami said. At that, my ears picked up the sound of a new set of footsteps. I glanced out from my hiding spot. In the gloom, I could make out a hooded figure coming from the other end of the alley. It had a feminine shape, and walked with a sway in it's hips.

"Mmm, and who do we have here? What's your name, sweetheart?" the woman asked.

"A..Asami, Asami Sato," Asami stuttered. I couldn't see her face, but it was clear from her voice she was flustered.

"Sato? Any relation to Hiroshi Sato?"

"Y…Yes, he's my father."

"Ah. A direct line to the man himself. Well done, Galak," the woman said.

"Thank you, mistress,'' came the reply. I felt my eyes widen as I realized that I had read the situation all wrong. Galak wasn't the vampire, he was just an underling, a servant. This woman was the true mastermind. Reaching under my jacket, I drew my knives and tensed my legs, ready to spring forward.

"Do not be afraid, my dear. Soon, you'll be free of the pain you feel," the woman said, brushing a few strands of hair out of the heiress' face. Now I had heard enough. I lunged forward, swinging a knife at an outstretched hand. The woman let out an inhuman screech as she sprang back in pain and surprise. I had a split second decision to make, either press my attack or defend my client. Holding my knives up, I fell into a defensive stance in front of Asami.

"Kill him!" the woman shrieked before she vanished into the shadows. Galak snapped out of his stupor and threw his jacket aside before shooting his hand outward. A blob of water shot forward, which hardened into a small spear of ice before it struck me in the right shoulder. I let out a grunt of pain before I shattered the ice spike with a swipe from my blades. Then I lunged forward, plunging both knives into his chest. I hit him with enough force that he stumbled backwards and was pinned to the brick wall behind him. Galak let out a scream of pain as the full force of what just happened slammed down on him.

"Where is your mistress hiding?" I demanded, ignoring the pain in my shoulder. Despite the fact that he had two blades which had completely impaled him, Galak cracked a tired grin.

"In the night. My mistress IS the night. How can you hope to catch that?" he asked as blood began to leak from his lips. I felt a shutter run through my body at the sight of red.

"Where?" I asked again, struggling to maintain my focus. It had been so long since I fed, and I was wounded.

"She is everywhere," he said with a giggle. I snarled before grabbing one of my knives and twisting it. Instantly his face contorted in pain.

"Where?"

"You're too late. Things have already been set in motion that cannot be stopped, even if you find my mistress," Galak said. I clenched my jaw before planting my foot in his chest and yanking both knives free. He slid down the wall, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. As I resheathed my blades and went to turn away, I found myself face to face with Asami. She was looking on in a state of horror, her hand covering her mouth.

"Mr. Kariudo?" she asked in a whisper.

"We need to go, it's not safe here," I said, gently placing a hand on her upper arm in order to guide her out of the alley.

"What is going on?"

"I'll explain everything but right now we need to go," I stressed.

"What.."

"Asami!" I snapped, my use of her first name finally getting her attention on how dire the situation was.

"O..Okay, let's go."

* * *

I threw my jacket onto my desk as I stumbled into my bathroom. I left Asami out in the main office as I began to rifle through the medicine cabinet for something to help patch up my shoulder. Finding the first aid kit, I went to work trying to patch myself up. I was about as subtle as an angry platypus bear in a china shop too, cursing up a storm as I powered through the pain.

"Who were those people?" Asami asked.

"The guy's name was Galak, the woman, I don't know," I answered.

"What did they want with me?"

"Something to do with your dad, based on what I heard," I said before pouring some rubbing alcohol on my shoulder. Instantly it exploded with a fiery pain, and I almost bit my tounge off trying to hold back a scream.

"What were you doing there?" she asked, not noticing what I was going through.

"Following Galak. He's the guy you hired me to track down," I answered when I was able to somewhat breathe again. My hands were shaking and the room was starting to spin. I needed to feed, and soon, otherwise I ran the risk of losing control and hurting if not killing someone.

"I thought I made it clear I wanted to be there when you took him down," she said, her voice sounding pointed and accusatory.

"And you were, you were front and center when I put two knives through his chest," I countered.

"So then who was the woman?"

"The real killer, near as I can tell."

"And you're still going after her?"

"That's the plan. Listen I need you to get something. Toward the back of the refrigerator, a brown glass bottle with no markings on it. Bring that to me," I instructed. I heard her move to the kitchen, and then the sounds of her shifting through the refrigerator. This was getting bad. By now my hands were quaking violently. What's worse was that I could smell her, like a prime steak for a starving man.

"What is this stuff, cough medicine?" she asked as she came back and handed me the bottle around the door of the bathroom. I closed it quickly, but she caught a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror.

"Are you alright? You look sick," she said with concern. Despite my shaking hands, I popped the cork and downed all of the bottle in one go. It wasn't fully satisfying, but it was enough to get the shakes under control. I sank to the floor and sat with my back against the bath tub. The now empty bottle slipped from my hand and rolled across the floor, dripping small red drops from the open neck as it went.

"Yao?" Asami asked, slowly opening the door. I was too tired to try and stop her. At sight of me, she brought her hand up to her mouth. I must have looked the sight, a wounded shoulder, blood on my lips and hands.

"What…what are you?" she asked, both fascinated and horrified at the sight

"I'm a vampire."

 **And cut. Don't you just love cliffhangers? I must, considering how often I use them. As always, remember to drop a review, leave a PM, and ask questions, and with that I'll see you all next time.**


	3. Tzu Case Part 3

**Hey guys, I'm back with a new chapter. This is the finale of the intro arc, so let's get it into it:**

For some reason it rains a lot in Republic City during Autumn. Not full on thunderstorms, but a light dull drizzle that just seems to go on for a solid month or so. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's the weather reacting to the change in seasons, or maybe it's mother nature's way of mourning the passing of another summer. Either way, it's the most depressing time of the year.

The light rain and gray bleak skies only served to make days like today all that more depressing.

A small cluster of black umbrellas did their best to shelter the group of people, which only added to the depressing atmosphere. This was Kori Tzu's funeral. She had a decent turn out, mainly friends and relatives. Me, I was watching from a distance, standing over a different headstone. I watched as despite the rain, they lit sticks of incense.

"It never gets any easier, does it, Kyoto?" I asked the headstone. All I got was silence and the soft pitter patter of rain. This was the grave of the woman who had saved my life in the swamp all those years ago. She'd taken me under her wing, taught me everything I know. Yet, in the end, not even she could outrun death forever.

I sighed as I pulled out a cigarette and lit it, exhaling a cloud of blue smoke as the crowd began to disperse. They all went off in the direction of a line of vehicles, except for one, who broke off and headed straight for me. Asami was wearing dark, yet respectable attire and was walking underneath a black umbrella of her own. Her face held the look of someone stricken with sadness, yet resigned and accepting of the fact.

"Thought your kind couldn't go out in sunlight," she said as she neared.

"I'm a special case," I deadpanned before taking a drag on the cigarette. We hadn't spoken since that night in the apartment, and she had this morning called me and told me to meet her here. I don't know what she was thinking, but I had a good idea. Near as I figured, she thought I was crazy, or at least was hoping I was crazy. The alternative was too frightening to consider.

"I've given it a lot of thought, and I've decided that I want you to go after that woman we saw in the alley," she said.

"I was doing that anyway, Ms. Sato. You can pay me for Galak, and then we can go our separate ways," I replied, hoping she'd take a hint and get out while she still could.

"No way. Crazies or no crazies, I'm in this till the end," she said firmly. I let out a sigh, expelling a cloud of smoke in the process.

"I was afraid you'd say that."

* * *

I managed to narrow down the woman's location to three possibilities. One was an old warehouse not far from the Station itself, one was an old mortuary that was somehow still in use despite years of neglect, and the last one was an abandoned temple which sat on the edge of a small graveyard. It didn't take long to narrow it down even further to the last possibility.

"You're sure she's here?" Asami asked. The rain had let up, and the cloud cover had broken somewhat, allowing large gaps of sunlight to shine through.

"Places reeks, she's been here," I assured. I wasn't happy that Asami was here in the least, even if it was daylight out. If she had been a bender I might have been a little more at ease, but she wasn't. All she had was her fists, a flashlight, and her wits. If we were going up against a Triad member or a cheating lover those would have been just fine. Against a vampire, they didn't count for much.

"You don't sound very confident," she noted.

"I don't like putting you in danger like this," I replied.

"I can handle myself, I'm not daddy's scared little girl," she said with defiance in her eyes.

"This isn't some deadbeat druggie who lost it while they were high, Asami," I said, "This is something much worse."

"And I'm telling you I can handle it," she said. I had explained a lot about the nature of vampires to her on the way here, answering her questions when she asked them to the best of my ability. I didn't know absolutely everything there was to know, but I was quite knowledgeable on the subject. The main feeling I got from the heiress was that she still didn't fully believe what was going on. That, or the full weight of the situation had yet to come crashing down on her.

The inside of the temple was dark and dusty. A quick glance around made it clear that no one had done any kind of worship in here in years. Many of the old seats were gone, and a few boards from the rafters had fallen down. In the center of the room were three bodies, hanging from what was left of the ceiling above by rope. Beyond the bodies, where the alter once rested was a single wooden crate. Wait, not a crate, a coffin.

It was clear that a majority of the smell in here was coming from the bodies. Two of the bodies were men, while the third was a woman. The two men had been hung upside down on either side of the woman. Their wrists were cut, and their bodies were a gray color. They had been bled dry, and had been dead or a day or so.

But the woman, she was a surprise. For starters, she was tied up by her wrists, not her ankles. Her clothing was ruffled and partially undone, as if somewhat had started the process of undressing her but had stopped. Other than a small scratch or two, there was no visible signs of physical harm. In fact, as I got closer to her I realized that I could here a faint heartbeat.

The poor woman was still alive.

"What is this?" Asami asked in a horrified whisper as I drew a knife and cut the woman down. I caught her before she could fully fall, and gently lowered her to the wooden planks that made up the floor.

"Human cattle. The bitch we're after has been slowly bleeding them dry for amusement," I said without looking up. Suddenly, the woman gasped and her eyes burst open. I flinched in surprise, but held her down as she started to panic and thrash in an effort to keep her from hurting herself.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, you're safe now," I said in the calmest tone I could muster. It didn't work, as now she was shaking her head with tears threating to spill out.

"No, no, not safe. No where is safe," she said.

"We're here to help, can you tell me your name?" I asked. The woman continued to shake her head and didn't answer me.

"What's wrong with her?" Asami asked.

"She's been scared out of her mind," I answered. This wasn't the first time I had seen something like this. Not everyone who witness traumatic things go one to become brooding anti heroes. Sometimes it breaks them with no way to put the pieces back together. With that in mind, I stood from the sobbing woman and made my way over to the coffin, drawing both of my knives in the process.

Raising my foot, I kicked the lid and let it slide off to the side. It clattered onto the wooden boards, sending up a cloud of dust in the process. The woman jumped, while Asami looked on in curiosity. Lying in the box was a woman with porcelain skin and long black hair. She was wearing a green kimono. Her eyes were closed, and her hands were folded over her breasts. She didn't look like she was sleeping, as her form was too rigid for that.

"That's the woman from the alley," Asami said, standing next to me. She had actually gotten a look at her attacker's face while I had not. Hearing her confirm that this was indeed who we were looking for gave me relief, and then immediately flooded me with anxiety. We had sleeping in her coffin, we had her dead to rights.

"She comes, she comes, she comes," the woman I had cut down began to repeat over and over. Gaining both of our attentions. Asami quickly went over to her and put her hand on her upper arm.

"Who comes? Can you tell me that? Who is coming?" she asked. The woman stopped and looked at her with a horror filled stare.

"The Mistress." I looked back down at the woman in the coffin, just in time to see her eyes snap open and fixate on me. They were a pale, unnatural sliver color, and seemed to shine even in the darkness cast upon her face by the shadows of the coffin.

"Shit!" I made to stab her with my knives, but she unleashed a banshee shriek and threw a fist out. My head snapped back as I was thrown across the room, slamming into a wall before collapsing to the floor from the force of the impact. It was amazing that the blow didn't knock me out, much less dislocate my jaw or break my neck.

As I struggled to get air back into my lungs, I saw the woman in the coffin slowly sit up and regard the other two women in the room. As she stood and began to advance on them, the woman I had freed was visibly shaking with fear, while Asami slowly retreated from her. The vampire reached out and gently stroked the woman's cheek, as if she were calming a lover.

"Shhh, it's okay. You don't need to be afraid of me," she said in a soft voice. The woman's shaking stopped, and she seemed to lean into the touch. Before she could react, the vampire bared her fangs and sank them into her neck. She didn't scream, but rather gave out a soft groan as her eyes rolled back into her head.

This went on for maybe a minute or two before she finally released her. The woman fell to the floor dead, her body sucked dry. Licking her bloody lips, the vampire turned her attention to Asami. The heiress kept the flashlight trained on her, the only sign that she was frightened was the fact that the light seemed to trimmer a little.

"Who are you?" she asked. The vampire advanced on her slowly, still licking the blood from around her mouth.

"I remember you. You're the one Galak brought to me. Oh, you and I are going to have so much fun, my dear," she purred.

"I…I know what you are," Asami said.

"Oh really? No doubt thanks to your little friend," she said, hissing the last part in my direction. By now, I had pushed myself back to my feet and was getting ready to do something incredibly stupid. Asami's back hit the wall, halting her retreat from the creature of the night before her.

"I can offer you everything, my dear," the vampire continued on, "I can make you young and beautiful forever. I can take away the pain and sorrow you feel for your friend." Turing the bowie knife over in my hand so I was holding it by the blade, I gave a short lunge forward as I threw it. The blade tumbled end over end through the air before embedding itself in the middle of the woman's back, directly between the shoulder blades.

"Asami run!" I yelled as the vampire let out an inhuman screech of pain and rage. Her hands clawed at her back, struggling to reach the knife while Asami bolted for the double doors that served as the temple entrance. The heiress didn't bother to slow down, choosing instead to plow through the rotting wood of the doors and into the safety of the sunlight outside.

Reaching the knife finally, the vampire grabbed it and yanked it free. Her hand hissed like hot metal hitting water, and she quickly dropped it. She looked at Asami, before wheeling to face me with anger in her eyes and her fangs barred.

"Now you die!" she screeched before she barreled toward me. I reached into my shirt pulled out my talisman, holding it out in front of me like a shield. She flinched and fell back at the sight of the golden metal. Using this to my advantage, I began to inch forward, pushing her back toward a corner.

"Did you really think I'd come unprepared?" I asked as I bent and picked up the bowie knife, sheathing the kukri in the process.

"You're too late," she hissed before taking a swipe at me. I easily dodged before pressing forward again.

"Yeah, that's what people keep telling me," I replied, "why don't you tell me what exactly I'm late for. Maybe then I'll actually be shaking in fear like you want me to."

"Insolent halfbreed, you don't know how to speak to your betters." I forced her back with the talisman some more.

"I'm not the one being forced back by a piece of metal," I countered.

"Then throw it away," she challenged, "prove that you are really better." I gave her a smirk before I let the metal fall, allowing it to dangle over the front of my shirt. She seemed surprised, but then barred her fangs in a triumphant smile before surging forward, intending to rip my throat out. I raised my knife and sliced her across her chest. She let out a shriek and fell back, her hand clutching her wound.

"Silver from a melted down talisman covering the blades," I explained.

"Do you really think silver trinkets are enough to stop what's coming?" she asked.

"Don't know, don't really care. You're the only one I'm worried about at the moment."

"Foolish boy. My Master will make you all suffer when he arrives," she hissed. By now, her back was fully against the wall and I had enough of her talking. Lunging forward, I stabbed the bowie knife through her heart, pinning her to the wall behind her. She let out yet another screech of pain, but I drew my kukri and swung it, silencing her permanently. Her head bounced and rolled across the floor, leaving a trail of blood as it went.

Yanking the bowie knife free, I let her body fall to the floor unceremoniously. Asami was leaning in the doorway, looking inside but not fully entering the building.

"Is it done?" she asked.

"She's dead," I confirmed as I walked toward her. The heiress looked a little green at the sight of the decapitated body, but otherwise kept her wits about her.

"So…so what happens now?" she asked.

"I have a phone call to make."

* * *

It's absolutely amazing what the press will churn out when they have no idea what to make of a story. The fire that I set in the temple in order to cover what had happened was being passed off as a cactus juice party that had gone horribly wrong by the papers. Lin kept a cap on the whole incident, officially saying that it had been an unfortunate fire which had claimed four unidentified homeless individuals.

I sat behind my desk, leafing through a newspaper for any other mention of the fire. It was little more than a second page story and barely mentioned in passing. Part of me was annoyed that it wasn't getting more attention. At the same time I was grateful. Attention wasn't something that was a good thing in this line of work.

Picking up the glass of brandy I had sitting next to the ash tray on the desk, I swirled the ice cubes in the amber colored drink around some before taking a sip. Lin had come to my office and pressed me in person, wanting to be absolutely sure that the vampire threat was taken care of. I told her the truth; to the best of my knowledge, the problem had been handled.

A knock at the door brought me out of my thoughts. I looked up at the frosted window and took note of the feminine outline on the other side. There was only one person it could be.

"It's open," I said. The door opened and Asami slipped inside.

"Did any of it make the news?" she asked as she took the seat opposite of me.

"Barely even registered on the second page," I replied as I laid the paper down on the desk between us. On the cover of the paper was a large picture of a young woman standing before a podium with the headlines 'Avatar arrives in Republic City'.

"It seems like it should have gotten more attention than that," she said.

"You should consider yourself lucky this was the extent of it," I replied.

"But…Kori's killer…"

"Is back in Hell or whatever other dark hole she crawled out of. I made sure of that."

"But how do I know that's the end of it? There's bound to be more of those…things out there," she said. I sighed and took a long drink from my glass.

"I'm going to be frank, Ms. Sato; you don't. Are there more vampires out there? Bet your entire family fortune on it. Unlike everyone else around you, you'll have to wake up every morning cursed with the fact that you know they do in fact exist. That's just something you'll have to learn to live with," I said.

"How do you cope with this life?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I drink like a fish and smoke like a baker's chimney," I deadpanned.

"Hm. I don't think you're the best example to follow," she said with a small smirk.

"Do yourself a favor, Asami. Just don't think about it. You don't think about sand sharks or platypus bears every day, do you?" I asked in a more serious tone.

"No."

"You have a much better chance getting mauled by one of those things then you do coming up against a creature of the night again," I explained.

"There's you," she pointed out.

"I told you, I'm a special case." She couldn't help but smirk at that. Standing, she reached into her jacket and produced an envelope full of cash before setting on the desk between us.

"The rest of the money, as promised," she said.

"You didn't have to…"

"A Sato always pays their debts and keeps their promises," she said before she made her way to the door. Opening it, she paused and looked back at me.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Yao, but I hope I never see you again," she said. I gave her a sad smile. The heiress had grown on me somewhat, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't going to miss her.

"You take care now, Asami," I said. She gave me one last sad smile before vanishing out the door. I sat and gazed at the spot where she had been for a while before I looked down at the newspaper again. There was an article located below the main story about the Avatar which caught my eye. I had glossed over it earlier while looking to see if my own story had made it in or not.

 _'Ghost Ship Baffles Authorities'._ That was the headline. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end as I began to read the article.

' _Port Authorities and Republic City Police remain baffled by the discovery of a ghost ship early this morning. According to sources, the cargo liner_ Demeter _was discovered beached near the mouth of Yue Bay on the outskirts of Republic City in the early morning hours by local fishermen. The entirety of the ship's passengers and crew were all missing with the exception of the Captain, who was found lashed to the ship's wheel.'_

 _'While theories continue to surround the mystery, both the Republic City Police and the Republic City Port Authority have refused to comment on the situation, both citing the somewhat difficult process of notifying the families of those on board. Sources confirm that the ship's longs have been taken for evidence, but it is currently unknown when or if they will ever be released to the public.'_

 _'The_ Demeter _departed from Whale Tail Island last week and had entered into a strange case of radio silence shortly after departure. Many sources have confirmed that no contact was had with the ship during the entirety of it's voyage from the Southern Isles to the United Republic, and many people fear that some kind of tragedy befell the passengers and crew of the ship during that time.'_

As I lowered the paper and finished my glass, I turned in my chair and looked out the window toward the city. Was this past case really the last of it? Or where there more things out there right now, hiding in the night. If this newspaper article was anything to go off of, there was a good chance I'd be working behind the scenes for Lin again in the near future.

Producing a cigarette, I lit up and glanced back at the newspaper again. The Avatar depicted in the picture there was a pretty young woman of Water Tribe background. Just by looking at her and reading what she had said, I could tell she was nothing like her predecessor. Things in Republic City, it seemed, were getting more and more interesting.

Only time would tell just how interesting.

 **And cut. That's it for this chapter. Like I said, this was the last chapter of the intro arc. Now we'll be getting into the meat and bones of the story. As always, feel free to review or leave a PM, ask questions, let me know what you liked or didn't like, and I'll see you all next time.**


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